With Scorsese behind the camera, and Sopranos scribe Terence Winter as creator, “Boardwalk Empire”’s pedigree is unrivaled. But will it be worth $50 million?

…Ever since David Chase blacked out Tony Soprano’s life mid-meal, HBO has been searching for the next Sopranos a search rendered more desperate after AMC found it. So now, HBO is on the hunt for the next Mad Men, and it looks like it might have found it in Boardwalk Empire, a Sopranos/Mad Men mash-up that effectively cribs from both gangster and period genres. The first promo teaser hit the web yesterday, and it looks like the most cinematic show HBO has done to date. It all makes sense, since Martin Scorsese directed the pilot and will have a major creative role in the series’ genesis. This morning, Page Six ran an item pricing the pilot episode at $50 million, easily making it HBO’s most expensive show ever. Even in Movieland, that’s a fairly hefty price tag. You’d have your marquee stars, maybe some CG, and a major marketing push. But in television terms, Empire probably needs to be a Sopranos-size phenomenon to ever recoup that kind of investment….

Excerpt from:
HBO Spends $50 Million on Sopranos/Mad Men Mash-Up

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